The conventional design of some library elements (e.g., memory) or products (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) chips) that are designed for newer technology nodes (e.g., 22 nm technology) typically cannot meet performance or functionality requirements at technology minimum or lower voltages. Consequently, the conventional design methods and systems redesign these library elements or products to meet performance requirements at the technology minimum or lower supply voltages using a modulation of a device threshold voltage (e.g., using a lower threshold voltage improves conductivity at the lower supply voltage) of at least one semiconductor switching element (e.g., a field effect transistor) on the library elements or products. The threshold voltage of a switching element is the value of the gate-source voltage when the conducting channel begins to connect the source and drain contacts of the switching element, allowing significant current. The threshold voltage may be dependent upon a number of design constraints including implant type in the channel region, channel sizes, and oxide thicknesses. Accordingly, the conventional modulation of the threshold voltage may include redesigning or altering the doping, the channel size, or the oxide thickness of the switching element.
The use of modulated or lower threshold voltage assists in the switching of the at least one semiconductor switching element on the library elements or products at a faster rate such that the library elements or products meet performance or functionality requirements at technology minimum or lower voltages. However, the use of the modulated or lower threshold voltages in conventional redesigns results in a substantial increase of leakage current, which causes the redesigned devices to require higher power to replace the leaked current and achieve the assisted switching. The increased leakage current and power requirements may also generate heat as the current leaks away, which leads to degraded performance for the redesigned devices.